Frankie Skinner

Frankie Skinner, 95, of Odessa, Texas, went on to glory on January 8, 2020.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at Sunset Funeral Home with Pastor Jackie Brem of Second Baptist Church officiating.  Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Frankie was born in Glendale, California, to Orion Bigham and Nola Stanbro Bigham.  She started her education at Prairieview School, a 1-room school located outside Lovington, NM, graduated as salutatorian from Lovington High School at age 16, and attended Eastern NM University, Portales, NM.

During WWII, Frankie worked for the Army Corps of Engineers in Hobbs, NM and she was transferred with them to Santa Fe.  It was in Santa Fe that she met Bob Skinner, the love of her life, who was a West Virginian stationed there.

Also, in Santa FE, Frankie may have been the first person to receive a teletype message for the Manhattan Project.  She recalled showing her supervisor the message and was instructed to collect the incoming messages until somebody came to claim them.

She worked for Phillips Petroleum for 7 years and retired from Westminster Presbyterian Church after 15 years as church secretary.  She has been a member of Second Baptist Church since moving to Odessa in 1952.

Frankie is preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Robert Skinner, her parents and sister, Pat Yarbro.

Frankie is survived by daughters Patty Zeigler (Tom), Midland; Marsha Busby (Alvin), Greenville, IL. Karen Smith (David), Denton, TX; grandchildren, Michelle Pedroza (Dwayne); Christi Burnett (Jason); Josh Busby (Wendy); Jake Busby (Jen); Jared Busby (Kelsey); Kayla Smith, Evan Smith, Tyler Smith (Karissa), and Garrett Smith; great grandchildren, Lyndsey Williamson (John), Grant Pedroza, Rileigh Burnett, Cameron Johnson, Andrew Busby, Aaron Busby, Nora Busby and Jonas Busby.  She is also survived by brother-in-law, Weldon Yarbro; niece, Lynne Williams (Joel); nephew, Steve Yarbro (Tresa), and their son, Dan; cousin, Maydell Pope and family.

Our special thanks to the staff of Brookdale Assisted Living and Home Hospice for their compassionate caregivers.

Arrangements are entrusted to Sunset Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home. To send family condolences please sign her guestbook at www.sunsetodessa.com.

Memorial contributions can be made to Second Baptist Church, a portion of which will go to the Prayer Garden Fund.